Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 244: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will reverse the decision not to reimburse the current market price of deltacortril tablets under the drugs payment scheme. [10672/06]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 245: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason her Department has advised pharmacists to refer persons with prescriptions for deltacortril and prednisolone qualifying for the drugs payment scheme back to their general practitioners to have another tablet prescribed instead. [10673/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.

An agreement is in place between the Department of Health and Children, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ireland, which sets out the supply terms and prices of medicines supplied to the health services. The agreement covers all reimbursable prescription medicines in the general medical services and community drug schemes, and all medicines supplied to hospitals and the Health Service Executive. A price freeze is in place for products supplied under the terms of the agreement.

There is a common list of reimbursable medicines for the general medical services and drug payment schemes. This list is reviewed and amended monthly, as new products become available and deletions are notified. Deltacortril, the product referred to by the Deputy, was not deleted from the list. The original manufacturers divested ownership to another company. The new owner subsequently increased the price to pharmacies, without prior consultation with my Department and in breach of the pricing agreement. Following negotiations with the company concerned, agreement was reached on a revised reimbursement price, which came into effect on 1 March. Deltacortril has been available in the usual manner from that date.